Miller House Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Relatives spoke positively about the care their loved ones received. One person told us, “The staff have remained calm in difficult situations. They seem competent at handling all the residents in a patient and cheerful way.” Another relative said, “I think these staff are friendly, calm and patient. Staff work together well as a team and they're very welcoming to us when we arrive.”

Throughout our visit to the service staff were observed to be kind, patient and helpful when dealing with people. A person told us, “I feel that the staff are effective and well trained. They ask nicely before providing any medication or care.” Another person told us, “I would recommend this home to people who need this level of support. It's a nice place - everyone is pleasant with no arguments or shouting and the staff work well together here.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s care records were person-centred and included information about what was important to them, the important people in their lives and information about their life history. This provided staff with an understanding of the person.

People were encouraged to take part in a range of activities that were on offer, including craft sessions, karaoke, bingo, trips out, gardening and exercises. An activity coordinator told us, “It’s all about making people feel alive.” She went on to describe how she had helped people who preferred to stay in their bedrooms, to participate in gardening, by taking plants into their rooms.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff encouraged people to do things for themselves if they were able. One person told us, “The care staff are good and have time to speak with me. I can choose what I want to do and feel that, although I'm independent, residents here seem to be encouraged to be independent. For example, I've seen staff prompting other residents to walk.” A relative commented, “It's good that they encourage him to shave himself and he tries to dress himself too.”

Some people were living with advanced dementia, and staff used their knowledge and skill to encourage them to make choices. Staff had received basic training in dementia care. One care assistant told us, “Dementia care is my passion. How you approach people is the key (to supporting them)”.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Relatives spoke positively about the service and told us staff knew their loved ones well. One said, “We are happy with service. We would recommend this home because [person] is cared for and staff communicate well with us and let us know about any changes that have happened.”

We observed a calm atmosphere at the service, with staff responding to people quickly when they were in distress or needed support. For example, we saw staff comforting a person when they were tearful. A relative commented, “Staff have good coping strategies to manage situations and maintain calmness.” Another said, “They see to their (people’s) needs straight away.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

All the staff we spoke with gave positive feedback about working at the home. Staff described a supportive and collaborative working environment and spoke about good team relationships. One staff member commented, “When I come to work, I’m happy. I really enjoy it. The team are lovely.”

Staff told us they received supervision and felt able to raise concerns openly and in confidence. Staff felt listened to and valued, and they described opportunities to develop their skills. One new staff member told us, “I’m learning new things each day.”